New Mexico Mental Health System Shakeup Under Scrutiny

Sidonie Squier, head of New Mexico's Human Services Department, defended the decision to freeze Medicaid funds at a Legislative Finance Committee hearing in July.

Bryant Furlow

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Fronteras: New Mexico accused 15 of it's mental health providers of Medicaid fraud, froze all federal funds to the agencies, and handed management of the companies over to Arizona firms. Some say the transition isn't going so well. We remember an activist who spoke up for the people who find themselves stranded and destitute in Tijuana after being deported from the U.S. Catholic leaders are hoping a nationwide immigration mass will sway Congress on immigration reform. Also, the Navajo Nation is trying to balance resources with feral horse roundups.

Arizona looks to benefit from disarray in New Mexico's behavioral health system. Five Arizona agencies that work with mental health and substance abuse clients have started treating patients in New Mexico. They were hired after New Mexico launched an investigation into health groups accused of overbilling Medicaid in that state.

Steve Shadley reports in this first of a two part series on the issue, the Arizona providers will be paid millions of dollars for a few months work.

Men and women who land in Tijuana after being deported from the U.S. lost a good friend this week. Micaela Saucedo was one of the city's most vocal advocates for that city's vulnerable deportee population and died Sept. 1 after a battle with cancer. From our Fronteras desk, Adrian Florido has this remembrance.

In response to a call from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, dioceses across the country will hold mass with an immigration theme this coming Sunday. Joey Palacios reports as the immigration debate continues this month, the church wants its prayers answered by congress.

Ongoing drought and decades of overgrazing have devastated grasslands on the Navajo Reservation. With a wild, feral horse population in the tens of thousands, the tribe has made the difficult decision to round up as many of the animals as possible. Most of those horses will end up at a slaughterhouse in Mexico. Rita Daniels went on a roundup and has this report.